Skeptics question whether infusion of billions of dollars for education in the economic-stimulus bill before Congress would actually give a healthy jolt to the economy. The bill would help thousands of students pay for college and could give colleges money to fix crumbling buildings. Some members of Congress are calling for the removal of…

To address increasing rates of overweight and obesity, a population-based telephone intervention was introduced in New South Wales, Australia. The Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service[R] (GHS) offered participants a 6-month coaching program or detailed self-help information. Determining the population reach of GHS is of public health…

The end of World War II was imminent by July of 1945 when 80-year-old progressive educator Flora Cooke of Chicago criticized Senator Theodore Bilbo of Mississippi for filibustering a bill that provided oversight in the government's awarding of military contracts and in its hiring practices. He interpreted the bill as a threat to the South's…

In another twist in the decades-long battle over evolution's status in public school science classrooms, state legislators are arguing that teachers have a right to raise doubts about that essential scientific theory as a matter of free speech. Similarly worded bills that attempt to protect the right of educators and students to present critiques…

This dissertation examines the historical background of federal regulations that have expanded over the past thirty years, and their impact on state legislative resistance to No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The federal government's involvement in public education offers an instructive opportunity for inquiry into cooperative federalism. State…

Although much as been written about information technologies and politics, less is known about how information is handled in congressional personal offices. What happens when a constituent sends an email to their Congressman? How does a Senator get information about the pros and cons of a proposed bill? A study was conducted to understand the…

The Nation's Report Card[TM] informs the public about the academic achievement of elementary and secondary students in the United States. Report cards communicate the findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a continuing and nationally representative measure of achievement in various subjects over time. The 2008 NAEP…

The role and contribution of students to the governance of university departments is a relatively neglected area of inquiry. This study investigated the factors which student representatives perceived to help or hinder their effectiveness as student members of departmental committees. Twenty students from a range of disciplines were interviewed…

Few recent issues in higher education have been as contentious as that of legislation extending in-state college tuition benefits to undocumented students, initiatives now known as in-state resident tuition (ISRT) policies. Building on several strands of literature in political science and higher education studies, we analyze the effects of…

Senator Charles E. Grassley may be backing away from his threat to offer legislation that would require the wealthiest institutions to spend up to 5% of their endowment assets each year. At a panel discussion on Capitol Hill last week, the Iowa senator, who is the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, strongly hinted that he would…

In a speech before a group of career-college executives and lobbyists, freshman Representative Jason Altmire hinted that he would look out for the sector's interests in a coming conference between the House of Representatives and the Senate on legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Referring to a provision in the bill that would…

This Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness hearing on "New Innovations and Best Practices under the Work-force Investment Act," better known as WIA, is about the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. Members testifying before the Committee were the Honorable Jason Altmire, a Representative in…

As with their first hearing, the members focused on new innovations and best practices that will improve the workforce development system. In this hearing, the witnesses share the practices that have been most successful in their experience with the workforce investment system. Members testifying before the Committee were the Honorable Brett…

The United States has the highest incarceration rate of any country. The causes for the large number of prisoners can be traced, in part, to a politicized war on crime that resulted in harsh sentencing and high recidivism rates. Prisoner education provides the potential for slowing the revolving door of prison by helping to create engaged…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 makes significant and controversial changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Two very significant changes in this law are provisions that (a) allow school districts to spend up to 15% of their IDEA Part B funds on early intervening services in…